Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-01-23
A FAILURE AND A SUCCESS.
Something About the Stage and
Players.

Players.
NEW YORK, Jan. 22.-There were two
first nights during the week and each
was remarkable in its way A young
English woman, pretty, graceful and
clever, made her first appearance in New
York at the Union Square Theatre, a
house that is rapidly achieving distine-
ton as the home hospital haven of rest
for ali the rank failures in Christendom.
Miss Hastings arrived shortly after NIO-
let Cameron's dismissal tiasco and her
managers became frightened and post
poned her debut until the dust settled
ever the Cameron shindy. Miss Hastings
has played with great success IN Eng
land, Is Jolly young woman OF 20 years
or thereabout, and unlike all other Eng
lish importations of the feminine gender,
she is unaccompanied by any faint OF
scandal. W hen her managers decided
to bring her out it was suddenly discov-
cred that there was no theatre to be had.
After time they secured an opening at
the Union Square on agreeing to begin
their season at once. There was q scram-
BILE, and a play was hurriedly written
and produced without sufficient rehear-
sal. TWAS an eerie sort of play. No.
body III the audience seemed to have a
distinct idea what it was about, and
there can be no question of the absolute
| ignorance of the actors concerning their
destinies and endeavors. throughout the
mournful and unhappy comedy" Miss
Hastings worked like beaver and sue
ceeded in establishing her cleverness and
ability, but the load was too much for her.
The most pronounced genius in the world
could not have carried that play to any
thing approaching success. SO the only
English actress who has recently come TO
America and started in to win success
without the aid OF indecency and scandal
has failed through the abject stupidity of
her managers.
MIR. Augustin DAILY took his clever
| North American Comedy Company out
OF the conventional and CON
clothes and cynical speech the
other night and plunged them head
long into Shakespeare. He did flaming
of the Shrew, "according TO his own words,
"tor the first time in America" OF
| course Barry Sullivan and Mr.. Booth
| have often presented the play, but it has
| never before been played as Shakespeare
wrote it. 1t has been in rehearsal for
many months, and there were several
notable additions to Mr.. Days regular
! company. The costumes were superb
and the stage setting fauItless. Every
| where there were evidences of the genius
| OF one of the greatest stage managers in
| the world, and the servants and minor
| characters were played by such sterling
| artists as James Lewis and Mrs. Gilbert,
| In all the small details it was u wonder
| ful production, ana yet it failed to score
| just where it should have been strongest.
! The man who could conquer such shrew
| as Shakespeare drew should be a man OF
amazing force and violence. Booths
| PetruchiO is not a great performance
| but it shows the possibilities of the part.
There is, however, very wide gulf be-
tween the Petruchio of Booth and that oi
| Mr.. John Drew, OF Days company.
| Drew, who is the best type we have Of
the conventional society man and of the
New Yorker OF the nineteenth century
| made a weak and winded Petruchio when
ne attempted to storm aud rave. He Is q
| man OF the keenest artistic intelligence
and in the lighter scenes he was dr0ll
whimsical and amusing, but when 1t came
to the neavy and stronger passages he was
| found wanting. Miss Ada Rehan begint
to show tue effect OF her continuous worL
in Mr.. Daly's company. she has acted
! continuously now TOR many years, In The
| SIMMER when most actors are resting the
Daily troupe is on its customary foreign
| tour, SO that Miss Renan practically
| plays all the year round. It is pity e
wear her out so rapidly. for she undOubt
edly stands at the very head OF American
| actresses. Her position here is not dis
similar TO that OF Miss Terry's In London
Irving is too wise to overtax his beauti
full colleague. Miss Terry does not ac'
at the Lyceum more than four or five
months out OF the year. Mr.. DAILY should
| take hint from this and allow toe mos
valuable and conscientious member of his
company to recuperats before IL is too
late. BEAKELY HALL.